This recipe was sent in by Laura Costas, and it is an adaptation of an article written for the Nov 2006 Honeypot by MaryEllen Kirkpatrick.

Ingredients: Granulated sugar, water, white vinegar

Equipment: Candy thermometer, heavy pot to boil in, sink full of cold water to cool, electric mixer, immersion blender or wire whisk

• Use at least 1/4 teaspoon of vinegar for every 5 pounds of sugar.  more vinegar results in softer (gooey like taffy) fondant, less in a harder (crumbles like stale bread) fondant.  I prefer the harder texture because it's easier to work with, and because you can put small pieces where you need them.

• You'll need 1 part water to 4 parts granulated sugar--this needn't be too precise, but it's a good place to start

1.  Mix the water and the sugar together.  It's easier if the water has already been heated and you add the sugar to the water gradually.

2.  Bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly.  You really must stir, or the mixture will scorch and will change chemically such that the bees will be harmed if they eat it.

3.  After the mixture has come to a boil, put the candy thermometer in and continue to boil uncovered until the mixture reaches 234 degrees.  You don't need to stir constantly now, but it takes awhile for the temperature to rise, so be patient.

4.  When your mixture has come to 234 degrees, you've cooked it enough, and now you need to cool it.  Place the pot in the cold water bath till the mixture comes down to about 200 degrees.

5.  Now you'll need to beat the mixture till it turns white.  You can do this by hand, or with an electric mixer. Go slow and use a big bowl, because the hot mixture will fly all over your kitchen if you just crank up the mixer to "beat" all at once.

6.  It's done when it feels sandy on your tongue.

7.  Pour it on to a tray covered with wax paper, or on whatever mold you like.  Remember that the fondant has to slide inside the narrow spaces of your hive as close to the brood area as possible, so make sure it's nice and slim.  MaryEllen says that you can use a frame of plastic foundation as a mold.